Recently, Hubby and I went to New York City to visit friends, family, and old school stomping grounds.
One of them is the Strand Bookstore, a historic bookstore known for its “18 Miles Of Books” in Book Row—a six-block ribbon of used and antiquarian book shops from 1890 to the present. Strand will be a hundred years old next year, and sadly the last surviving Book Row artifact. No wonder the neighborhood and book lovers pitched in to save it when it nearly closed during COVID-19.
I honestly don’t need to buy anymore books (the current reading pile is large), but since I had a limited amount of time to spend at the store, I figured a controlled “haul” would be acceptable as souvenirs.
I mainly wanted a tote—which is now my cat’s favorite unofficial bed, but after flying through the humid shelves, I decided to take a chance on three books.
I did what I call a “Book Run,” where I had essentially fifteen minutes to find something interesting, then hurry back to Brooklyn.
The Witch by Marie Ndiaye
A witch from a small French town is bound into a horrendous marriage. As she passes her knowledge down to her twin daughters, the girls must choose to either stay under the thumb of their abusive father or leave their home and mother behind.
I love a good story about witches. This one seems interesting because it has layers of realism woven within the supernatural. Plus, I haven’t read too many stories set in the French countryside. It will be a nice change in pace.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
A disgraced knight named Thomas encounters a young survivor of the Black Death who warns him of the impending destruction of man as Lucifer raises an army of fallen angels.
I enjoy books (fictional and real) about cults and plagues (I have a bit of that going on in my current novel). This one caught my eye first because of its eye-catching cover, then because of the line an epic tale of medieval horror. I love period pieces with elements of fantasy and horror. I already have a long reading list, but I am excited to get to this one.
Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences by Anne Lamott and Neal Allen
I got this one on a whim after seeing two prominent writers on the cover. I look forward to the day my draft is complete and I can go over it with a fine-toothed comb, transforming the sentences into something readable. I haven’t read too much of it yet, but I already appreciate the light-hearted banter between Allen and Lamott as they express their methods for improving sentences.
